Improvement in locks



" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONRAD PH. WAGNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lMPPtOVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent 0. 47,588, dated May 2, 1865.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD PH. WAGNER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, 'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the'lock with the cover P of the permutation-plates closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover P open. Fig. 3 is a back view. Fig. 4 is a central horizontal longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is an inside view of a part of the case which contains the tumblers. Fig. 6 is atransverse section of the bolt in the linea: m, Fig. 5. y Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are front views of the several tumblers detached. Figs. l2, 13,114, and 15 are front views of the permutation-plates detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention relates to the employment of a system of concentric rotating tumblers and a system of concentric permutation-plates attached to the said tumblers outside of the lock, and capable of being severally turned by the lingers or by other means to certain positions indicated by letters or numerals there-l on, for the purpose of bringing the tumblers to the required positions to liberate the bolt of the lock.

It also consists in certain means of providing for the changing of the positions of the permutation-plates relatively to the rotating tumblers, for the purpose of enablingthe position of the tumblers which permits the drawing back of the bolt to be indicated by a different combination of letters or numerals without requiring the box or case which contains the tumblers to be opened.

It also consists in inclosing the rotating tumblers separately from the other parts of the lock in a box through which the bolt passes, and which forms a convenient4 guide for the bolt, and in which are bearings for the tubes 0r sleeves to which the tumblers are attached, and for the central spindle around which the tumblers rotate, and which also affords facility for placing all the tumblers together in the lock.

It also consists in a certain device, whereby, y

though the tumblers may have been brought to the requisite position for allowing the bolt to slide back, such sliding back is prevented `until the said device is also brought to a certain position. y

It further consists in providing, for the purpose of covering and inclosing the permutation-plates, a cover, which is locked in a peculiar mannerhereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and apply my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents'a portion of the door to which the lock is attached. 0 0* is a box or case, of cylindrical or other suitable form, containing the series of concentric rotating tumblers B B B2 B3 B4. This case is secured to the interior of the door A by means of screws a a, and is made in two parts, 0 and 0*, for

the convenience of inserting the tumblers and the bolt D, the tumblers being inclosed within it and the bolt passing through it transversely to the common `axis of the tumblers and parallel with the plane of the door. The

two parts 0 0* are secured together by means of screws a* a* or other means. Outside of the door there is, opposite to the case 0 0*, a

steel plate, E, which is secured by the screws the bolt D, or of a projection` formed on the front or back thereof. The rearmost tumbler,

B, has a central hole, which iits toaspindle,

F, which passes entirely through the case 0 0*, the door, and the plate E, and the said tumbler is only prevented from turning on the said spindle by being provided with a feather, c, Fig. 7, to fit a groove, d, in the spindle. This spindle tits snugly into a hole in the back of the ease C 0*. The second tumbler, B', is made in the same piece with or rigidly secured to a lcng concentric tube or sleeve, e', which is fitted to turn upon the spindle F, and which is long enough toextend through the case 0 0* and the door and some distance through the plate E.` The tumbler Bz is made with a sleeve or tube, e2, which fits to the exterior of c the fourth, B3, with a sleeve or tube, c3, fitting to theexterior of e2,

' outermost tube or sleeve, e4, fits a circular holeV in the plate E. The permutation-plates consist of circular disks, of brass or other metal, and each 011e has a circular hole, f, in its center `for the reception of the end of the tubeor sleeve of its respective tumbler, and in the hole of `each there is a tongue or feather, g,

which enters into a notch, h, in the end of the tube or sleeve, and so enables the tumbler to be turned by turning its respective permutation-plate.v

Each tube or sleeve has in its end two or more notches, h, (two shown in Figs. 8,9, 10, 11,) for the reception of the feather g in its respective tube or sleeve, thus permitting cach permutation-plate to be connected with its respective tumbler in two or more positions. The plate G4, which isconnected with the front' tumbler, B4, is next to the plate E and close against the said plate, and the next one, G3, tits 'close to GL the next one, G2, close to G3, and the front one, G close to GZ, and the several plates are kept upon their respective sleeves by the head F* on the front end of the central spindle, F, which is kept in place by a nut, FH, iitted to a screw-thread on its rear end.

The head of the spindle serves as a permutation-plate to the rearmost tumbler, B. The permutation-plates are each larger than the one in front of it, and the front one, G', larger than the head ofthe central spindle, that a portion of each may be exposed to view and present a surface on which to en grave or stamp the letters or numerals which serve as indices to the positions ot their respective tumblers. In Fig. 2 of the drawings letters are represented on the said plates. Each of the said plates' is also represented in that ligure with ya notch, t', in its edge, to facilitate the turning ot' it with the thumb or iinger; but it would WNJaeJeette-r to have the edges milled for this purpose. In that portion ofthe central spindle, F, which protrudes through the back of the box C C* and in front of the screw-thread, there is turned a groove, j, (see Fig. 4,) for the entrance'of the edges ofthe two jaws of a stop, H H, which are attached to the back of the box by means of pivots 7c k, Fig. 3. These jaws, when closed upon the spindle and secured in a closed condition by a set-screw, I, screwf ing into the back of the box, do not prevent the spindle from turning, merely operating in 'conjunction with the nut Ftit, to prevent the forward far enough to allow the permutationplates to be severally drawn olf from the sleeves of theirrespective tumblers and turned to allow them to be placed on again with their feathers g in different notches, h, in the sleeves. The said stop, it' its jaws open wide enough to clear the nut, serves as a more convenient means of allowing the spindle to move forward than unscrewing the nut, and

only just permits the spindle to move forward the requisite distance.

A portion of the boltA D, which is received within the case C 0*, is made much thinner than the other portion, as shown at l, in Figs.

4, and 6, in order that it may work between two of the tumblers, B3 and B4, without keeping them very far apart, and in order to permit a portion ofthe greater thicknesses of the bolt beyond to enter the notches b of one or more ot' the tumblers, as shown at I1* in Fig.

4. The thinner portion, l, of the bolt is made4 wider than the other parts, and has provided in it a slot, m, through which the sleeve e3 of the tumbler BfJ next behind it passes, and this widened portion of the bolt is just long enough to emit the necessary longitudinal movement of the bolt limiting the said movement by coming in contact with the sides ofthe case U Oft. There is on the back of the bolt a projection, n n', the portion not which is formed or arranged to slip into the notch b of the tumbler B, and the portion n formed or arranged to slip into the notch b ofthe tumbler B. This for mation is shown in Fig. 4. There is also a projection, n, on its front face to enter the notch b of the front tumbler, B4. The notches b of the tumblers may be of various widths. The bolt or its projections n n and n4 can only enter the said notches when the tumblers are in positions to present the several notches opposite to the said projections and to that portion of the body of the bolt which is to enter any of them, and in order to bring the tu'mblers to these positions the permutation-plates and spindle F have to be severally turned to such positions as are known to correspond with those positions of the tumblers, and indicated by the letters or numerals on the said plates. `With the adjustment of the plates and spindle shown in the drawings the several plates have to be brought to such or other device applied to it for this purpose,V

and when the bolt has been shot out to lock the door, the turning of the several plates from this position prevents the bolt from being shot back by any person unacquainted with the combination necessary to be formed by the letters or numerals to bring the tumblers to the proper position. This combination may be altered at any 4time by unfastening and opening the jaws H H, drawing forward the spindle, and shifting the permutation-plates to bring their feathers g into different notches, h, in the sleeves of the tumblers.

The device represented for moving the bolt D consists of a cam and a yoke, L, Figs. 3 and 4. The cam is fast on a spindle, K, which is inserted through the door at a suitable distance from the case C G* and furnished with a knob, KX, outside of the door, to enable it to be turned by hand, and the yoke, which is connected with the bolt by a slot. s, and pin 8*, Oscillates upon a pin, p, which attaches it to the door, and which is loaded at L*, in such a manner that it falls back of its own weight and draws back the bolt when the tumblers are brought to the requisite positions to permit its backward movement. The cam serves the purpose of shooting out the bolt, and the opening of the yoke in which the cam works is of such size that when the bolt is shot and the door locked the cam may rotate freely within it without disturbing the bolt.

The spindle K is fitted with a loose sleeve, M, which turns in a bearing, N, secured lirmly in the door, and which forms the bearing for the spindle, and on this sleeve, inside of the l door, there is a circular flange, Mt, in which there is a slot, q, into which a pin, 1', secured firmly in the yoke, must enter to permit the yoke to fall back and draw back the bolt. When the bolt has been shot out to lock the door, the sleeve M is turned by applying the tin ger and thumb to a flange Miti, on its outer end outside of the door and behind the knob, K, to any position but that which permits the pin r to fall into the notch q, so that it' the tumblers should be turned to the proper position to permit the sliding back of the bolt the latter cannot do so until the sleeve is turned to the proper position to bring the slot q opposite to the pin r, which position is indicated by a mark on the flange Miti, being opposite to one of a number of marks on the outer face of the flange N* of the bearing N. Fig. 1 shows the ange Mit* in this position.

It will be understood that to open the door not only must every one of the tumblers be brought to a certain position, `but the sleeve M and cam J also, and this is almost impossible to a person who is not acquainted with those positions. rIhe yoke L may be operand permutation-plates may be used in combination with the yoke L `orother device for drawing the bolt. j

P, Figs. l, 2, and 4, is the cover, of steel or hard iron, provided for the' permutation-plates to serve as an additional safeguard tothe lock. This cover is hinged at t to the plate E, and is furnished inside with any desired number of revolving buttons Q, which are capable to being turned by attached knobs R outside of the cover. These buttons are so formed, as shown in Fig. 2, that each, when turned to a certain position, will pass freely in and out between tixed catches u u secured in the plate E, and allow the cover to open i and close; but that when turned from this position while the cover is closed parts of them will pass behind the catches a u, and will not permit the cover to open.

The proper position to which the knobs R require to be brought to bring the buttons to the requisite positions to permitA the opening of the cover, is ascertained by bringing a certain number of marks on each knob to a eer- Vtain one of a number of marks on the exterior of the cover, and it will be very diflcult for any person not knowing the proper positions to bring all the knobs at once to those positions, which, for the example represented, are shown in Fig. 1. Y

The means of operating the bolt and the bolt itself may be modified to adapt my improved system of tumblers and permutation-H plates to padlocks and trunk-locks.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The movable stop H II, in combination with the longitudinally-movable central spindie F, rotating tumblers B B' B2 B3 B4, permutation-plates G Gr2 Gr3 G, and tumbler-box C 0*, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified. k

2. The tumbler-box C C?, inclosing the tumblers separately from the other parts of the lock, forming a guide for the bolt D and a bearing for the tumblers and their central spindle, substantially as herein specified.

3. The sleeve M, with one or more slotted, flanges or tumblers M* and the pin r in the yoke L, or its equivalent, applied in combina-w tion with the bolt `of the lock and with the* spindle K, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The cover P, for inclosing the permuta-i tion-plates, secured by means of two or more revolving buttons, Q, and catches u, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified. 

